*Two co-defendants charged with embezzling $1.5 million and $2.3 million respectively

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The former Finance Services Manager for the City of Placentia (Placentia) was sentenced today to 25 years in state prison for embezzling approximately $5.2 million from the city. Michael Minh Nguyen, 34, Irvine, pleaded guilty to 36 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds, 67 felony counts of money laundering, two felony counts of falsifying records, and one felony count of making a non-sufficient funds check, with sentencing enhancements for aggravated white collar crime over $500,000 and property loss over $3.2 million. In addition to prison, Nguyen was ordered to pay $2,649,155.57 in restitution to Placentia and was fined $10,321,471. Continue reading→

FULLERTON, Calif. – Additional charges were filed today against the former Finance Services Manager for the City of Placentia (Placentia) charged with embezzling $5.2 million from the city. Michael Minh Nguyen, 34, Irvine, is charged with an additional 19 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds, 66 felony counts of money laundering, one felony count of making a non-sufficient funds check, and two felony counts of falsifying records. The Court also issued a temporary restraining order on the assets held by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) that were seized from the defendant. Continue reading→

SANTA ANA, Calif. – The Finance Services Manager for the City of Placentia (Placentia) was arrested last night for embezzling $4.3 million from the city. Michael Minh Nguyen, 34, Irvine, is charged with 17 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds with sentencing enhancements for aggravated white collar crime over $500,000, and property loss over $3.2 million. If convicted, Nguyen faces a maximum sentence of 29 years in state prison and a fine of $8.6 million. The defendant was arrested last night, April 13, 2016, by Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Bureau of Investigations, with the investigative assistance of the OCDA Public Integrity Team. Nguyen is being held on $4.3 million bail and must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond. The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned sometime today, April 14, 2016, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Itzcoatl “Izzy” Ocampo, a resident of Yorba Linda, stands accused of four horrible murders – but I did not like the way O.C. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas went after him at his press conference. Ocampo served our country as a U.S. Marine – and by all accounts he was a good man before he left.

According to the OC Weekly, Rackauckas called Ocampo “a monster” and a “vicious killer”– but indicated he’s been “cooperative” with investigators. He also said, “There is no evidence that is he mentally ill.” Really? The Veterans Administration had diagnosed him with psychological problems. Continue reading→

A Facebook group of just over 200 residents of Yorba Linda is opposing the idea of ending the City of Yorba Linda’s contract with the City of Brea’s Police Department. There are 64,500 residents in Yorba Linda, which means this group of 200 is numerically insignificant – they aren’t even 1% of Yorba Linda’s population! Some of them also apparently set up a website too. Their site notes about 325 supporters – again a pittance compared to the entire population of Yorba Linda.

The real question, which has been raised by famed FFFF blogger Tony Bushala, is why in the world the tiny City of Brea is providing police services to the City of Yorba Linda in the first place! What the heck is that all about? If the Brea police have too many officers, can’t they just cut the extra ones? Or, as has been suggested by one of the Yorba Linda Council Members, shouldn’t the two cities be running the police in conjunction, under the auspices of a joint authority?

The Brea police groupies fail to mention that costs have absolutely skyrocketed over the past few years, as illustrated in this graphic: Continue reading→